


Tattered Allegiances

by FireEye



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 20:17:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17752787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireEye/pseuds/FireEye
Summary: Basch comes to her rescue.  Because he can't not.





	Tattered Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noahfronsenburg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noahfronsenburg/gifts).



His heart is torn in half, between the duty he lives and the duty he’s left behind.

In the end, Larsa doesn’t begrudge him his alliances, and Zargabaath’s honor to the Imperial throne is beyond reproach.

All Basch can wonder, as he makes his way with haste through the grand halls of the Archadian Imperial Palace, to where the Dalmascan royal delegation is housed, is that there’s something about peace conferences that brings out the absolute worst in people.

The insurgence has passed these halls before him, swift and brutal, and as he passes more dead than living he fears the worst.  But the sounds of battle are ahead, and he presses on.

When sees her, sword drawn and surrounded, and nothing close to helpless, his heart leaps in his chest.  She’s managed to cut down every enemy that’s stepped into her circle, but her allies have dwindled away.  Raising his own sword, he knows that to reach her, he will carve a path in blood, if need be.

And to reach her, he’s forced to do exactly that.

“Majesty!”  Her head turns, her eyes wide.  As though her ears are lying to her; as though he wouldn’t come in her time of need.  “To me!”

The last enemies standing between them fall, and she spins on her heel to stand at his back, deflecting a spear that would have pierced his side, armor or no.

The shameful thing is that it’s worth it, almost truly worth it, to fight again at her side.

Their enemies fall, but their leader stands fast.  Although he gains no ground, he’s too swift to corner, and deflects even the most judicious slashes and thrusts with his spear.

Crouching, he leaps in the air.  Shoving Ashe aside, Basch takes the blow, thrusting upward in retaliation.

“ _Basch_!”

The enemy is dead.  Basch is on his back, not far from it himself.  There’s a flow of white magic from where Ashe’s fingers touch his chestplate, and the blood clears from his vision.  He can hear the measured footfalls of reinforcements.

“Basch is dead, Majesty,” he reminds her gently.

The subtle colors of emotion in her eyes causes him pause.

“Not to me.”

Ashe turns her head away.  Even though Basch doesn’t want her to.

The Judges help them to their feet.

**Author's Note:**

> -Please accept this awkward mutual pining identity thing.  
> -It's been a while since I XII'd, hopefully I am doing it right.


End file.
